Chapter 3 - Alpha City

"Wait a second... What?"

He stood there, shocked, as all the anomalies around James disappeared. The brightness in his eyes disappeared. His mind was blank.

As he stared, the only sound heard - at least by James - was Novice Fox's urgent voice trying to soothe him:

[Yes, that's right, but don't worry, like I said. Once you get that module, it will stabilize on both sides and there will be no problem. So please calm down. Your calmness is the most important factor to avoid this problem I'm talking about.]

These words echoing in his mind did nothing to help James, who stood stunned. His body refused to move and his eyes showed confusion, fear and anger.

He was shocked. On top of the shock of being a half-beast, he had just learned that there was the possibility of being a full beast. He was afraid. He could leave the state he knew himself to be and become a whole new life form, and he could never go back. To the Novice Fox and to himself, who was not exactly himself at the time he was talking about...

The hours chased the hours. The sun chased the moon out of the sky and showed its first rays. Novice Fox tried to speak to James a few more times, but he did not respond. By the time he had fully digested what had happened, the flickering glow in his eyes had gained clarity.

He examined his body. He could see nothing wrong. There was a small spot in the center of his chest that had been there since he arrived. It looked as if it had grown, but he thought that was just how it felt. At least he wanted to think so.

He muttered as he quietly put on his clothes on the floor:

"All right... Show me the way, Fox."

What he was wearing was a simple long-sleeved tracksuit. It fit him perfectly, but for some reason James felt that it would be inappropriate here. As if to confirm this, Novice Fox spoke:

[It would be best if you give the "Inventory" command and open the starter pack first. Also, aren't you curious how much you can get {Upgrader} for?]

James then tapped his forehead and spoke:

"Let's leave that for last. Now, tell me, how much is the {Upgrader}? And what are the quests you mentioned before?"

He didn't have much faith, but he couldn't refuse any chance. Novice Fox explained at this time:

[First of all, quests are entirely based on the choices you make, the actions you take, and your desires. Naturally, you also have the right to refuse a mission you don't want.]

[Each quest gives a certain amount of SP. SP is an abbreviation. It stands for Store Points. SPs are points that allow you to buy modules from the Store].

James muttered as he took a deep breath:

"Store."

A new window appeared in front of him.

<Store initializing...>

A few minutes later a new panel appeared in front of him:

<Modules Available for Purchase:>

And below that a short list appeared. Right at the top was the {Upgrader}. But James froze when he saw the price.

<{Upgrader}: 16.375 SP>

He murmured softly:

"Sixteen thousand..."

Meanwhile, Novice Fox continued her explanation:

[Your biggest challenge is probably to reach this amount ahead of time. You need to find that module before you reach level thirty, the final level. Otherwise it will be too late. As you level up, the effects of the Bakugan side will increase and eventually you will change completely].

James put a hand to his chin with an expression full of seriousness.

"I need to get sixteen thousand three hundred and seventy-five points before I'm level thirty?"

James found the situation a little absurd. He didn't know how hard it would be to get sixteen thousand, but he felt that with effort he could get it sooner or later, but to do it before his level got too high...

It didn't sit well with him. Novice Fox spoke in a troubled voice:

[I... I know you can do it, after all, I'll help you with that. The amount of SP that missions give you also depends on how much influence you have on the big events in this world. With your knowledge and my guidance, I believe we can do it.]

What she didn't say was that the level he would receive would also increase. Of course, there was a limit to the level he would get. That's why Fox hoped that they would be able to reach absurd missions without level 30.

James had a vague feeling that Fox was trying to reassure him, but he was in no mood to think about that now. He asked earnestly:

"I need information about the timeline. Has Shun Kazami been here? More precisely, how long has it been?"

His memories covered a certain part of the second season, he had a chance to influence events. As much as he wanted to stay away, he had to participate even if he didn't want to because of where he started. Otherwise he would have wandered around until he found a Bakugan in Vestoria, and in the end he would have been no different from them.

Still, he needed time to formulate a plan.

There was no answer from Fox. There were sounds like pages being turned. James waited, not wanting to interrupt. It was better than no sound at all.

He spoke in a low voice:

"Inventory."

At his command, the white window with the gold frame reappeared. There were nine empty slots. To the right of the slots was a gray drawing of an adult human being. There was a slot for the arms, legs, body and head.

At the head of the slots was a gray box. It was wrapped with a yellow ribbon and looked like gift wrapping.

As James's gaze inevitably focused on her, the small window appeared in front of him.

<Shall the Starter Pack be opened?>

<Yes/No>

Without hesitation, he tapped the yes button.

Then the windows closed one by one and the Starter Pack suddenly appeared in front of him. The box began to hover and spin as James involuntarily pulled back slightly in surprise. After two slow turns, the bow untied and the ribbon began to twirl around the box.

Then slowly the box opened. As the lid lifted completely, a blinding light was emitted. He involuntarily shielded his arm to protect his eyes.

After a short while, the light almost faded as the sound of the pages faded. James pulled his arm away and the box disappeared. In its place were three pieces of equipment floating in the air.

The first was a gauntlet. The main color was black with purple accents, and it had three buttons, one at the end of the glove and one just above the slot where the card appeared. The card slot of the glove was also dark purple. It was now sitting there without any card in it.

Thanks to James's disturbingly clear Bakugan memories, he could understand what it was. It was a dueling gauntlet, a staple of the New Vestals, and one of his most needed pieces of equipment.

But the inscription just above it caused him to frown briefly.

<{{Vexos Style: Baku-Gauntlet]>

He had a vague sense of what that meant. But right now all he could do was hope it was okay.

The second was a ball, black in primary color, with purple stripes. James' eyebrows raised involuntarily when he read the inscription.

<[Robotic Gargoyle Variant: Darkus, Code Name: Gargonoid]>

It had a long name. Involuntarily, he picked up the Bakugan. When he unexpectedly picked it up, a new window appeared.

<New equipment identified. Open Modular Menu?>

Not understanding, he asked Fox:

"Fox, what is this?"

A sound of surprise could be heard from Fox:

[He's alre- Huh? That? That's what I was going to tell you! As you know, the Modular System allows you to attach modules to yourself. But these modules are not limited to you. You can also attach them to any equipment you use that is classified as a weapon.]

James was surprised. Looking at this strange Bakugan in his hand, he wondered, "So, what is this? Machine Bakugans shouldn't have appeared in the current scenario, and Machine Bakugans usually have a metallic color."

Fox answered directly:

[What you have is an artificial life form created by the Modular System. I don't know about the Machine Bakugan, but I'm sure it's much more advanced than them. It's a biological machine. Therefore, it has eighty-five percent of the biological characteristics of the original].

James stared at his hand in surprise. He didn't know how to feel about what he was holding as he softly closed the window in rejection. And as if his surprise wasn't enough, Fox struck one last blow:

[And its internal skeleton is made of a special blend of metals. In its brain is an artificial intelligence that can learn. In the beginning, its reaction time and general intelligence will be low, but in a few matches it will be a perfect partner for you].

James remained silent. He disappeared from sight, going to the other two equipment inventories in front of him. He took only the Bakugan. He looked at the Bakugan for a while.

It was a powerful machine that would suit him in any situation. It would probably be hard to find a better one to start with. Unless, of course, he had one of the active roles in the main story.

Inhaling the air, he relaxed and asked:

"And how do you know all this?"

[It's a secret.]

With the answer he received, he did not ask any more questions about it. Looking towards the horizon, he spoke:

"Well then, I didn't get an answer to my question earlier, when is Shun coming here? And also about leveling up... How do I level up? Though in this case it should be how to avoid leveling up."

Fox spoke after that:

[The ninja you call Shun has already arrived. Leveling up is not something you can avoid, unfortunately. One way to get SP is to participate in Bakugan matches. Both quests and Bakugan matches give you SP and experience points].

James's nerves were on edge over this. So inevitably his level was going to go up. He should have focused on the quests that required high efficiency. But he shouldn't put himself in danger.

Besides... Shun had already arrived.

James felt his head ache. 'How inconvenient...' he thought to himself and finally spoke:

"Alright then... Which way is the nearest city?"

[Hm... I think it's on the west side. I'm sure if you walk for two days straight you'll definitely reach it].

James stopped and thought for a moment. Then he asked in confusion, "Which direction is west?" he asked in confusion. Fox was stunned by this question for a moment, but quickly recovered and spoke:

[Uh... On the left side, I mean. I'll tell you what you need to know on the way].

As she said this, she felt that she had a lot of information to teach James.

James sighed:

"So we start walking again. What a hassle."

[Listen carefully to what I have to say, okay? In the meantime, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I can answer any question!]

"Sure, sure. Thank you very much."

He just brushed it off. He didn't need to be specific as he was going to ask her anyway.

And so he began his quarrelsome journey.

...

"All right, I know what you mean, more or less."

[Good, then, remember to be careful. Don't trust anyone too easily.]

"I may be amnesiac, but I'm not stupid, Fox."

As he gave his answer with displeasure, he looked up at the huge dome in front of him. It was a glass dome with a large emerald at the top. At first glance it looked like one of those colonies in the movies that settled on Mars. But as he looked closer, it was possible to see that it was a big city.

He felt uneasy looking at the city. He found it quite strange, but then he thought, 'Whatever it is, I'll have to get used to it, to survive' and took a deep breath.

Then he started walking, but the direction he went was not the city. Instead he just walked to where there were two rocks standing side by side, and Fox asked him:

[How do you plan to enter the city?]

James spoke after looking around carefully:

"Simple. Watch and learn, young padawan."

Having said that, he threw himself on the ground. He was wondering on the one hand, 'What does padawan even mean? It came out of my mouth suddenly, but...' he thought. In the meantime, he twisted and turned on the floor, intending to get himself dirty by putting his own plan into action. Then he got up, tore his clothes. He did as much damage to himself as he could to make it look as if he had been defeated in battle.

Perhaps it was a bit excessive, but James nodded appreciatively.

"That's enough. I guess."

From now on, he knew, it would all depend on his own acting skills. When Fox realized what he had done, she spoke with surprise and confusion:

[Are you going to make yourself look defeated? But is there anyone around here you can compete against? Doesn't everyone fight battles within the city?]

James smiled as he started walking towards the city:

"Yes, except for one organization."

[Which organization?]

"The Bakugan Battle Brawlers Resistance, of course."

As James said this, his uncomfortable feeling towards the city grew as he got closer, and the smile quickly faded from his face. Fox didn't understand at first, but didn't ask any questions. There was the sound of a few pages being turned. Then she spoke:

[Ha, I get it! But wouldn't that make the people who did this for Bakugan Freedom look like terrorists?]

James remained expressionless despite the discomfort he felt towards the growing city. He felt he was getting used to it. Although getting used to the feeling of being restricted didn't make him very happy. In the meantime, he answered his question:

"They are already known as terrorists to those who are ignorant of the facts. At least that's how I remember it. Anyway, it doesn't matter as long as it works for me. After all, I am not a citizen and it won't take long for me to be understood. I don't have an identity or anything."

[What are you going to do then? Pretend you've lost your memory and everything you own has been stolen?]

"Exactly."

By the time these conversations returned, he was already close enough to the city. He kicked hard at a rock he found on the side. It hurt like hell, but he didn't care.

For ten minutes he walked straight ahead. He kept wobbling until he met two Vestals patrolling the entrance. He had done a lot of damage to his leg. He didn't know how much, but it was enough to make him wobble naturally.

Seeing James staggering towards them, the Vestals pointed a strange weapon in his direction.

"Who are you?"

He tensed slightly at the sight of the joba-like weapons being pointed at him, but didn't flinch. As he took a few more steps, he spoke in a pitiful voice.

"Help me... I don't feel well... I-I've been attacked..."

After a few more steps he collapsed. As he closed his eyes he thought, 'If the System can, can you make me unconscious for six hours?' He didn't know if it really functioned like that, but all he knew was... If it didn't, he was definitely fucked.

<Request approved. The required fee has been added to the debit ledger and will be deducted from your quest. Shutting down consciousness...>

And that's how his consciousness shut down. The last voice he heard was "Hey! Are you okay?"